Job description
Wanted: Scientist II - Cell & Molecular Biology
Anticipated start date: As soon as possible
Closing Date: 13th January, 2025
Salary Band: £32.5k-£37.5k
Full Time, Sheffield, UK
Do you want to utilise your skills to make a real-world impact working at the forefront of biotechnology? Do you love science and live for efficient experimental design and analysis? Are you tired of moving liquid between plastic plates and wish a machine could automate mammalian cell culture?
We seek a driven and enthusiastic scientist to work across our biology and engineering teams on all aspects of our R&D - from helping to develop and test laboratory automation instruments to leading technical work packages on client-focused research projects. Ultimately, your work will help us fulfill our ambition to be one of the largest biotech companies in the world (we think and go for big).
You are a self-starter with a deep understanding of cellular biology and the ability to rapidly apply your knowledge to new industrial applications (e.g., media development, bioprocess engineering, etc.). You thrive in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple parallel projects with tight deadlines while operating with high degrees of autonomy, and have a background in cellular biology.
WE VALUE
- Curious, creative, and driven do-ers who want to create real value and impact.
- Friendly, organised, efficient, and enthusiastic people with a can-do attitude.
- Collaborative, curious, and communicative people who thrive as part of a tight-knit but diverse team.
- People who strive to improve their skills continuously and become world-class in their field
- Low-ego individuals who love asking questions and go above and beyond to help the team succeed.
THE ROLE
In conjunction with our team of all-star biologists and engineers, you will design, execute, and analyze experiments to support the development of our cell culture automation systems, helping accelerate our pace of discovery and experimental iteration.
You must be comfortable operating with uncertainty and upskilling to meet new challenges. The startup journey is not easy, nor for the faint of heart. You must see this challenge as invigorating rather than intimidating. Your work will be exciting, and the learning opportunities will be significant. Expect to expand your skill set more in a year than many do in five years.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop experiments within a budget and analyze results to further our bioproduction system development.
- Supporting ongoing biology R&D projects through your technical skills in culturing mammalian cell types and executing cellular and molecular biology workflows.
- Working on client-facing R&D projects and collaborating closely with our commercial team to ensure what you help discover and build aligns with the needs of our clients.
NEED TO HAVE
- Tissue culture experience with various cell types (e.g., cell lines, primary cells, pluripotent stem cells).
- Experience using standard cell biology analytical techniques (DNA/RNA isolation, qPCR, Flow cytometry, image analysis, etc.).
- Demonstrated ability to think from first principles to adapt your knowledge to new industrial applications.
- Strong attention to detail and demonstrated experience in leading and delivering research projects.
- Desire to rapidly and continuously learn new concepts and technologies - you will be out of your comfort zone most of the time.
- Ability to communicate effectively with multi-disciplinary scientists/engineers and balance workloads across multiple R&D projects running simultaneously.
- Interest in working with laboratory automation and bioproduction technologies.
We will consider applicants from any/all relevant background(s). You will likely have a bachelor’s/master’s degree and 1-2+ years of experience working in a lab or a PhD with some prior professional experience.
NICE TO HAVE
- Previous experience working in a startup/scaleup environment.
- Prior experience using mammalian cell culture bioreactors or cell culture automation systems.
- Previous experience in suspension culture of mammalian cell lines/stem cells.
- Knowledge and experience working directly or indirectly on R&D projects with hardware/software/material biocompatibility considerations.
- Prior experience working with computational tools (e.g., R, image processing, etc.) to accelerate data analysis.
- Prior experience working on real-world, translational R&D or product development projects.
BENEFITS
- Join a fast-moving transformative industry in a high-growth environment.
- Opportunity to work on a variety of projects and rapidly learn new skills.
- We seek to empower, not restrict, and give ownership and significant input into key decisions.
- You will be based in the UK's greenest city on the doorstep of the peak district with world-class hiking, biking, running, and climbing 15 minutes from our custom-built, independently owned R&D centre.
ABOUT US
Unicorn Biotechnologies develops intelligent machines to automate biology and augment biologists. Our first system, Emmet, standardises, streamlines, and scales the production of any mammalian cell culture process, helping scientists accelerate their pace of experimental discovery and removing technical and economic barriers to scaling transformative innovations (cell therapies, regenerative medicines, cultivated meat, etc.) to mass markets. Backed by leading transatlantic VCs, we aim to ensure all people live healthier, longer lives on planet Earth, and beyond.
JOIN OUR TEAM
Submit your application here: https://forms.gle/bkVn8q4eg6E9QvD29
Please fill out the application form; however, if you get stuck or have any questions email: careers@unicornb.io
Unicorn Biotechnologies is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces inclusion and diversity.